At the end of 2016 he received the Trevor Barker Award as St Kilda’s best and fairest – an honour he achieved again in 2019.
Ross notched his 200th AFL game this season, but persistent injuries during the past two years limited his output.
He finishes his Saints tenure with 211 games, including three finals appearances.
Ross spent seven years as a member of St Kilda’s leadership group and acted as stand-in captain for one game in the absence of injured skipper Jarryn Geary.
The 31-year-old indicated he would seek to continue his AFL career at another club as a delisted free agent.
“St Kilda will always be the place that gave me the chance to live out my childhood dream of playing AFL football, and I will forever be grateful for that,” he said.
“While I’m not closing the door on football moving forward, I leave the Saints with some lifelong friends and some incredible memories.
“I’d like to thank all of the teammates I’ve shared the journey with over the years, as well as all my coaches, the staff and the broader St Kilda community for making my time here so special. I’m comforted knowing that whatever comes next, I have my incredible wife Marnie and our children, Charlotte, Vinny and Henley, by my side. They truly are my world.”
St Kilda executive general manager of football David Mission thanked Ross for his service to the club.
“These types of decisions are never easy to make, particularly given Seb’s calibre as both a person and a player, which has yielded incredible respect from teammates and supporters alike. However, as we position our list for the future, this decision, albeit incredibly difficult, needed to be made,” he said.
“Seb has given everything to St Kilda over the journey and has experienced more than his fair share of hardship throughout in terms of team success, but his commitment through it all has been a defining feature of his career and character.”
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